21/07/2025
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There’s a blind spot in India’s electric vehicle (EV) ambitions, and it sits deep inside the battery.
Lithium, neodymium, dysprosium and praseodymium are rare earth elements that power EV motors, batteries and electronics. And India imports most of them from a single source: China.
In late 2024, China tightened its grip on rare earth exports, citing national security concerns. It was a sharp reminder of where power lies in the global clean-tech race. China controls more than 70% of global rare earth production and around 90% of refining. India’s $240 billion auto industry just found itself exposed. Although Indian automobile manufacturers frontloaded magnet imports in March and April this year, up 20% and 87% year-on-year, respectively – those stockpiles are expected to run out soon.
This is no time for wishful thinking. If India is serious about electrifying transport and building clean-tech self-reliance, it must first learn how others played this game.
Read here: https://thewire.in/economy/india-rare-earth-bottleneck-chinese-playbook-worth-studying
